Coil former



Oct. 12, 1948. R. B. JAMES 2,451,222

COIL FORMER Filed Sept. 5, 1946 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOEN Y R. B. JAMES Oct. 12, 1948.

COIL FORMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E Filed Sept. 5, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATTOENEY R. B. JAMES COIL FORMER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 5, 1946 nvmvrox.

@QJATTOENEY Patented et. 12, 1948 lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to a coil forming machine and more particularly to a coil forming machine used in forming a coil for insertion in the slots of an electric motor or dynamo, but not necessarily so limited.

An object of this invention is to provide a coil former that spreads the coil to the proper width and twists the sides of the coil so as to have the proper curvature to fit radially disposed slots and at the same time retain the ends of the coils in the proper angular relation, which coil former operates efiiciently from any suitable source of power, in that it may be hand driven, pneumatically driven, hydraulically driven or electroma netically driven. The coils that are formed are uniform as a finished product, resulting in economy of production and ultimate insertion.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coil forming machine showing a coil in the process of formation.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional View taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2, with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is another cross sectional view similar to Figure 4, showing the coil-gripping fingers in retracted position.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the coil before it is expanded.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the coil-engaging members holding the coil in readiness to be expanded.

The coil forming device includes a pair of brackets ID adapted to be rigidly secured to a work table or work bench or any other suitable stand or support. The brackets l0 support a rail l2 forming the main support for the device. This rail I2 supports a transversely disposed bar or rail 14. The bar I4 is attached to the rail l2 in any suitable manner, as for example, by welding. The rail l2 and the bar 14 cooperate to form the frame structure for the coil forming device. The coil forming device includes means for expanding the sides of the wire and for twisting the sides of the wire into proper angular relation. In addition thereto, the coil forming de- 2 vice includes a pair of end-supporting floating devices that hold the ends of the coil in proper angular relation.

The coil-expanding means will now be described, and includes a pair of bracket members I 6 mounted for reciprocatory movement upon the bar M which forms sides therefor. One bracket member [6 is mounted on one side of the rail I2 and the other bracket member [6 is mounted on the other side of the rail 12. Each bracket I6 is provided with an upwardly directed cylinder head portion l8 provided with a suitable opening for a piston rod 28. The piston rods 20 extend from one side to the other and are fixedly secured to the brackets 22, one on either side, supported in any suitable manner upon the rail l2 and the bar M. The piston rod 20 has a piston 24 mounted on either end, only one of which has been shown, each piston 24 being located in a cylinder 26 closed by a cylinder head 28 secured to the cylinder head portion I8 by suitable bolts 30.

Each of the brackets I6 is also provided with a pair of laterally disposed arms 32 terminating in upwardly directed extensions or arms 34. The

upwardly directed extensions 34 are provided with apertures or holes receiving the round ends 36 of square rods or bars 38.

Each of the rods 38 has adjustably mounted thereon expansion brackets 40. When the expansion brackets have been adjusted into position, they are held in such position by suitable set screws 42. A bifurcated coil-engaging extension or iurcation 44 projects towards the center of the machine and constitutes a first jaw of a coil holding device. ferring to Figure 3, the extension 44, to the right of Figure 3, is on a higher level than the extension 44 to the left of Figure 3. This arrangement permits a coil of wire 50, having a contour like that shown in Figure 5, with the loops or convolutions of wire all lying in a common plane, to be positioned in the extensions 44, as shown in Figure 6. This is the initial position of the device. The sides of the coil 50 are clamped in position by coilengaging fingers 52 or 54, as the case may be. The fingers 52 and 54 are integral and pivoted at 56 to a plunger 53 connected by universal joint to a tubular joint Bil receiving a threaded rod 62 connected to a link 64 actuated by a lever 66 pivoted at B8. The fingers 52 and 54 thus form a second jaw of a coil engaging device which is complementary to the first mentioned jaw 44, as best indicated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing. The complementary jaw, which includes the coil As may best be seen by re-- completed, each bracket It may advance towards each other slightly, s as to permit easy removal of the formed coil, which may be removed by removing the pins Hi and releasing the fingers 52 and 54 by oscillating the lever 66 into the position shown on the right hand side of Figure 3. After the coil has been removed, the machine may again be adjusted into home position for the loading of another coil to be expanded.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A c'oil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of can riages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, two pairs of brackets pivotally mounted upon the carriages, there being one pair of brackets mounted upon one carriage and the other pair of brackets mounted upon the other carriage, means mounted upon the brackets for clamping the sides of the coil to be formed, means for actuating the carriages in opposite directions away from the plane of the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, and means for oscillating the brackets with respect to the carriages so as to deflect the sides of the coil so that the sides of the coil are radially disposed with respect to a common axis.

2. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for support ing the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite direction and located on opposite sides of the coil, coil-engaging means mounted upon each of the carriages, said coil-engaging means being mounted for oscillatory movement, the coil-engaging means mounted upon one carriage clamping one side of the coil and the coil-engaging means mounted upon the other carriage clamping the other side of the coil, means for actuating the carriages in opposite direction from the plane or the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, and means for oscillating the coil-engaging means so as to twist the sides of the coil so that the sides of the coil upon being formed will lie in intersecting planes.

3. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including a pair of movable floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, coil-engaging means mounted upon each of the carriages, said coil-engaging means being mounted for oscillatory movement, the coil-engaging means mounted upon one carriage clamping one side of the coil and the coilengaging means mounted upon the other carriage clamping the other side of the coil, means for actuating the carriages in opposite direction from the plane of the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, means for oscillating the coil-engaging means so as to twist the sides of the coil so that the sides of the coil upon being formed will lie in intersecting planes, and said pair of movable floating means engaging the ends of the coil, said movable means being mounted for movement towards and from each other without orientation so as to hold the ends of the coil in a common plane.

4. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, two pairs of brackets pivotally mounted upon the carriages, there being one pair of brackets mounted upon one carriage and the other pair of brackets mounted upon the other carriage, means mounted upon the brackets for clamping the sides of the coil to be formed, pneumatic means for actuating the carriages, said pneumatic means including a pair of pistons and a pair of cylinders, there being one piston and one cylinder for each carriage cooperating to actuate its carriage, and means for oscillating the brackets with respect to the carriages so as to deflect the sides of the coil so that the sides of the coil are radially disposed with respect to a common axis.

5. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, coil-engaging means mounted upon each or" the carriages, said coil-engaging means being mounted for oscillatory movement, the coil-engaging means mounted upon one carriage clamping one side of the coil and the coil-engaging means mounted upon the other carriage clamping the other side of the coil, pneumatic means for actuating the carriages, said pneumatic means including a pair of pistons and a pair of cylinders, there being one piston and one cylinder for each carriage cooperating to actuate its carriage, and means for oscillating the coil-engaging means so as to twist the sides of the coil so that the sides of the coil upon being formed will lie in intersecting planes.

6. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions located on opposite sides of the coil, two pairs of bracket-s mounted upon the carriages, there being one pair of brackets mounted upon one carriage and the other pair of brackets mounted upon the other carriage, and a plurality of toggle means cooperating with portions of the bracket means for clamping the sides of the coil, each of said toggle means including a member terminating in a pair of finger-like extensions one of which engages the side of the coil and the other engages the edge of the coil.

'7. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, two pairs of brackets pivotally mounted upon the carriages,

' mounted upon the other carriage, means mounted upon the bracketsfor clamping the sides of the coil to be formed, means for actuating the carriages in opposite directions away from the plane of the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, and means mounted in the path of movement of the carriages for oscillating the brackets with respect to the carriages so as to twist the sides of the coil from the original plane thereof.

81' A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including floating means for supporting the ends 'of the coil, a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, coil-engaging means mounted upon each of the carriages, said coil-engaging means being mounted for oscillatory movement, the coil-engaging means mounted upon one carriage clamping one side of the coil and the coil-engaging means mounted upon the other carriage clamping the other side of the coil, means for actuating the carriages in opposite direction from the plane of the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, and means mounted in the path of movement of the carriages for oscillating the brackets with respect to the carriages so as to twist the sides of the coil from the original plane thereof.

9. A coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, said device including a pair of carriages mounted for movement in opposite directions and located on opposite sides of the coil, coil-engaging means mounted upon each of the carriages, said coilengaging means being mounted for oscillatory movement, the coil-engaging means mounted upon one carriage clamping one side of the coil and the coil-engaging means mounted upon the other carriage clamping the other side of the coil, means for actuating the carriages in opposite direction from the plane of the coil so as to pull the sides of the coil laterally, means mounted in the path of movement of thecarriages for oscillating the brackets with respect to the carriages so as to twist the sides of the coil from the original plane thereof, and a pair of movable means engaging the ends of the coil for supporting the same, said movable means being mounted for movement towards and from each other without, orientation so as to hold the cndsjof the coil in a common plane.

10. In a coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in angular spaced relation, a support, firstv means carried by said support for supporting the ends of the coil-,1. a, pair of carriages mounted on said suppcrtiifor move.- ment. inopposite directions andlocated on opposite sides of the coil, bracket means mounted upon the carriages, and a plurality of-clamping means cooperating with portions of the bracket means for clamping the sides of the coil, each of said clamping means including a coil engaging member terminating in a pair of fingerali-kezextensions, one. of whichiengage's the sidei-ofnthe coil and the other of which engages the edge of the coil, each of said clamping means including means for actuating'said coil engaging member at an obtuse angle, to. the: sides of the coil engaged thereby. a r

:11. In a coil spreading device for use in spread-- ing a flatly wound coil so as to fit into radially directed slots arranged in an'gular 's-paced relation, a coil engaging clamp comprising first means for engaging twoadjacent sides of said coil, second means including a member terminating in. a pair of finger-like'extensions for engaging the opposite sides of said coil, and a single actuator for moving said member at an obtuse angle tothe sides of the coil and into engagement with said coil whereby one of said finger-like exten-jf sions engages one side of saidcoil and the other of said finger-like extensions engages an adjacent side of said coil.

12. In a coil spreading device for use in spreading a flatly wound coil, a coil supporting bracket having a pair of fingers for engaging inner and bottom surfaces of said coil, a complementary member terminating in a pair of finger-like extensions, one of which is adapted to engage the top side of said coil and the other of which is adaptedto engage the outer side of said coil,

of said coil whereby said coil may be gripped between said jaws.

' ROBERT B. JAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ame in the Number to be gripped I imat s De 5, 19,22 

